ThisisthefirstcollectionofessaysinEnglish,contributedbywell-knownexpertsofChineseliteratureaswellasscholarsofayoungergeneration,dedicatedtothepoetryofDuFu,commonlyregardedasthegreatestChinesepoet.TheseessaysareengagedinhistoricallynuancedclosereadingofDuFu’spoems,bothcanonicalandlessknown,fromnewanglesandinvariouscontexts,anddiscussaseriesofcriticalissues,includingthelocalandtheimperial;thebodypoliticandtheindividualbody;poetryandgeography;perspectivesonthecomplicatedrelationofreligionandliterature;materialityandcontemporaryreceptionofDuFu;poetryandvisualart;andtraditionandmodernity.ManyofthepoemsdiscussedinthisbookwerewritteninthebackwatertownofKuizhou,farfromDuFu’searlierresidenceinthecapitalcityChang’an,atatimewhentheTangdynastywasgoingthroughdevastatingsocialandpoliticaldisturbances.TheauthorscontendthatDuFu’sisolationfromtheeliteliteraryestablishmentsallowedhimtobecomeapioneerwhointroducedanewordertotheChinesepoeticdiscourse.However,hisattentiontodetailsineverydayreality,hispreoccupationwithdomesticlifeandthelargerissuesembroiledinit,hishumor,andhisabilitytosurprisetendtobeobscuredbytheclichédimageofthe“poetsage”and“poethistorian”―animagethiscollectionofessayssuccessfullycomplicates.
